Metaves I

The 44 Orders

Paleognaths

Galloanserae

Metaves

Pelecanae

Charadriae

Passerae

NEOAVES

Neoaves is the sister clade to Galloanserae. It has two parts: Metaves and Coronaves.

METAVES

Metaves contains about 10% of the avian tree: 905 extant species in 207 genera and 17 families. Many of the Metavian families have long puzzled ornithologists. They just didn't seem to fit comfortably anywhere on the avian taxonomic tree. One of the attractions of the Metaves hypothesis is that it packages together so many troublesome taxa. The Metaves hypothesis remains controverisal and is a current topic of research.

COLUMBIMORPHAE

Metaves includes two big groups. This is the smaller one.

PHOENICOPTERIFORMES

Regardless of whether Metaves holds, the association of the Flamingos and Grebes is likely to remain (see Mayr, 2008). It has been suggested that the Mesites are close to the the flamingos and grebes (Ericson et. al., 2006a), but I follow Hackett et al. and put them near the doves.

Phoenicopteridae: Flamingos

3 genera, 6 species HBW-1

Podicipedidae: Grebes

6 genera, 22 species HBW-1

PHAETHONTIFORMES

The Tropicbirds are usually considered close to a variety of seabirds, but in an uncertain location (different studies give different results). Recently, they have become more controversial. Fain and Houde (2004), Ericson et al. (2006a), and Hackett et al. (2008) placed them in Metaves while a recent paper by Morgan-Richards et al. (2008) found them somewhat related to the hawks.

Phaethontidae: Tropicbirds

1 genus, 3 species HBW-1

PTEROCLIFORMES

I follow Hackett et al. (2008) where the sandgrouse, mesites, doves and pigeons form a clade. In contrast, Ericson et al. (2006a) placed the sandgrouse next to the doves and pigeons, but the mesites were close to flamingos and grebes. The uncertainty about whether they actually form a clade and the depth of the divisions between them justify placing them in their own orders.

Pteroclidae: Sandgrouse

2 genera, 16 species HBW-4

There seems to be some controversy about how to spell the family name. Both Pteroclidae (Clements, HBW, Sibley-Monroe) and Pteroclididae (AOU, BLI, Howard-Moore, IOC) are in use, and Pterocleidae has also been used. The name indicates it is known for its wing, i.e., “-cles” takes the same meaning as in names such as Heracles. By analogy with Heraclidae/Heracleidae, it would then appear that either Pteroclidae or Pterocleidae would be correct. The first is the form used by Bonaparte when he established the family-group name in 1831 (as the subfamily Pteroclinae), and is used here.

MESITORNITHIFORMES

Mesitornithidae: Mesites

2 genera, 3 species HBW-3

COLUMBIFORMES

Columbidae: Doves, Pigeons

43 genera, 328 species HBW-4

Click for genus-level Columbidae tree
Click for genus-level
Columbidae tree

I have based the organization of the Columbidae on the recent paper by Pereira et al. (2007), which provides a comprehensive DNA-based phylogentic tree. Although the dodos and Rodriguez Solitaire (genera Raphas and Pezophaps) have been traditionally considered a separate family in the Columbiformes, the DNA says otherwise. Shapiro et al. (2002) and Pereira et al. (2007) found that these two genera are buried deeply within the Columbidae, in the Raphinae. The Reunion Solitaire seems to have actually been an ibis! See Mourer-Chauviré et al. (1995).

The DNA testing shows three major clades. A basal clade includes a subclade consisting of the New World genera Geotrygon, Leptotila, Zenaida, together with a subclade of New World pigeons (including the Passenger Pigeon), as well as typical pigeons, cuckoo-doves, and turtle-doves. It is sister to the other two clades together. One of them consists of the New World Ground-Doves. The other contains all other doves. I divide it into two subfamilies: Phabinae and Raphinae. The dodos and solitaires are nested well within this third clade, in Raphinae.

The subfamily Columinae has been studied in more detail by Johnson and Clayton (2000), Johnson et al. (2001), and Gonzalez et al. (2009a). The species in Zenaida, Streptopelia, and Columba, but not Patagioenas, have been rearranged accordingly. Johnson et al. (2001) also found that Nesoenas should be merged into Streptopelia, which I've done.

Columbinae

Zenaidini

Columbini

Claravinae: American Ground-Doves

Phabinae: Australiasian Pigeons and Doves

Raphinae: Old World Doves and Pigeons

Raphini

Treronini: Green-Pigeons

Turturini

Ptilinopini: Fruit-Doves and Imperial-Pigeons

EURYPYGIMORPHAE

Although the tree suggests that the Eurypgiformes belong with the Cypselomorphae, support for this seems to be fairly weak. For that reason I have put them in a separate superorder.

EURYPYGIFORMES

These two monotypic families form a strongly supported clade in Hackett et al. (2008). Their affinities have long been unclear. They have recently been grouped near the cranes, but that appears incorrect and they are likely a relatively basal group. The best estimate from Hackett et al. has them sister to the Cypselomorphae.

Rhynochetidae: Kagu

1 genus, 1 species HBW-3

Eurypygidae: Sunbittern

1 genus, 1 species HBW-3

Previous Page Next Page